"[Fertik and Richenthal] recognized the absence of Democratic efforts to reach out to young, professional liberals. When they tapped into their contacts from college, work, and law school, they ended up with a list of people in their 20s and 30s who wanted to get involved but didn’t have the time to research candidates or the money to feel they were making a real difference. So, Fertik says, he and Richenthal decided to 'find out where they can have impact with that smaller amount of money' — a message reminiscent of Howard Dean’s '$100 revolution.'"

By July 2005 CNM had a "membership of roughly 3000 people," with "members in 33 states and a presence in New York City, the District of Columbia, Louisville KY, Philadelphia, New Haven, San Francisco, Los Angeles." [3]

CNM "focused on achieving clear results" by getting Democratic candidates elected to state-wide executive offices -- including "Governor, Lt. Governor, Comptroller, Secretary of State, Ag Commish, Railroad Commish, and Mayor in the larger cities" -- and "building the base for a Democratic national majority." [4][5]

About

Fertik, CNM's chairman, and a "repeat Internet entrepreneur," is CEO of ReputationDefender Inc. of Louisville, Kentucky. Fertik is also a member of the Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee.[6][7]

Campaign for a National Majority is a pragmatic political action committee that supports Democratic candidates for State Executive offices across the country. Our candidates are viable in tough races, and show promise as contenders for progressively higher offices.

Our goal is to build a "farm team" of Democrats who can win statewide and national elections. It is no secret that governors consistently make the best presidential candidates. Their experience as State Executives prepares them for higher leadership and encourages them to articulate innovative policies and messages.

The "'build the farm team' concept" is likened to that utilized by former Vermont Governor and 2004 presidential candidate Howard Dean. [9]

Candidates

CNM vetted prospective candidates through "exhaustive research", including "record[s] in public office as well as their character." CNM stated that it would "interview everyone from a candidate's grade school teachers, to their college professors, members of the their church and so on to get a complete picture of just who the candidate is. Once CNM has vetted the candidate, they will endorse and fund raise for that candidate. In addition, they will lobby other groups to endorse and fund raise for the candidate. They will share their research with the group in question to help convince them to endorse." [11]

2004

CNM's first put its "model into effect" in 2004 in "a few state legislature races." CNM claims it helped put Texan David Leibowitz into "the Texas Lege held by an incumbent Republican" and helped get Jeff Daniels of Ohio "elected to a state legislature seat that was open, but had historically been a Republican seat." [12]

The Leibowitz and Daniels races were considered a "trial" of "two candidates in longshot districts," with both winning in "narrow victories." [13]

2005

CNM focused on mayoral races in 2005, with an additional 500 races under consideration. [14]

2008

Fund Raising

In 2004 Fertik estimated CNM would "raise several thousand dollars in bundled contributions from its young donors to disperse to the two candidates — David Leibowitz in Texas and Jeff Danielson in Iowa."[21]